Your expectations are NOT too high. It actually helps in getting the most out of it all.

Mine were exuberantly high when I started SR shaving, and for years I got good shaves, but not "perfect" ones or near perfect. And it didn't feel I had maxed out.

High expectations and stubbornness made me seek out knowledge and different approaches to everything concerning straight razors.

And because of that I'm able to put my best edges to date on my razors and where I rarely got it perfectly right on my razors before, I now get it right all the time. (and it wasn't THAT hard in retrospect, just took the long road of trial and error.)

I now get my most pleasant, smooth, effortless shaves I've ever had and I'm still seeking for little advantages.

A stone I once got so frustrated with and left in a box to die is now my favorite finisher.

THAT is awesome! Inspirational and very good to know. Just curious, what stones are you using now?

Meets are great. If you get a chance to travel to a few they are incredible learning opportunities.
I tend to put a lot more focus on the 1 and 4K hones than the finishers. Have you tried a 1K shave? My approach with my first 1K shave was to take my hone to the bathroom and worked my edge until it would shave and then observed is and did some sharpness tests with it. You have enough razors that you can take both approaches.

THAT is awesome! Inspirational and very good to know. Just curious, what stones are you using now?

An old vintage Coticule, seems to act much like a La Grise / La Nouvelle Veine layer, very slow stones, I use it solely for finishing
It took me way too long to figure out, other Coticules didn't work for me either at a time

Earlier in the week I picked up a vintage Henkles Twinworks 81 razor at an Antique shop. In near perfect condition. Brought it home and finally got it on the hones. It already had a decent edge, but needed touched up - there was a very very small chip in the blade. Anyway, took it up my progression from 1K king to 4/8 Norton, then on to my Naniwa. Made sure the bevel was set at the 1k, shaving arm hair, then the 4/8, just trying to reduce previous scratch marks. At the 8K, I feel like I probably had a nice edge. Took it to the 12K naniwa, did 12 round trips with slight forward torque, then 8 round trips no pressure.

The next thing I did was put away my hanging strop. I have a piece of Latigo leather (3"x18") stashed away. I laid it on my dresser flat, and did about 30 round trips on that with very light pressure, trying to make sure the bevel made contact, and listening to the swishing sound. Cleaned the blade with water, and razor easily passed HHT along the bevel.

Showered up this morning, steamed my face, Stirling Gatlinburg soap (AWESOME by the way....), and wow, what a shave. Seriously this is what I've been hunting for....BBS shave, no resistance even ATG. Truly the best shave I've had with a straight razor. A break through moment for me. I'm nearly certain my strop has been to blame all this time- perhaps b/c I've been using an hanging strop, and perhaps b/c my technique was a bit off (maybe both). But now having used a clean piece of leather on a flat surface with light strokes, no doubt this was a difference maker- perhaps the biggest reason on my sub-par shaves.

I think the stropping I've been doing on a less than satisfactory bridle leather strop and sub par techniques over time has resulted in my frustration. I'm looking into buying a paddle strop now with felt. SRD sells one (currently out of stock), but there is one for sale locally on Craigslist I might snag up...

Thanks everyone for your input. Going to take my razors back to the hones, touch up on the 12k again, then back to the latigo strop on a flat surface and see if my results are the same...

Glad you were able to the problem. Consider that people have used all kinds of leather for hanging strops to successfully strop a razor with.

Bob

Yes, I would prefer to use a hanging strop I think. And I may. But for now, I think a paddle type strop is giving me the result I desire. Might make a new paddle strop and order a new hanging strop. Either way, the stropping I believe was indeed the issue....

Yes, I would prefer to use a hanging strop I think. And I may. But for now, I think a paddle type strop is giving me the result I desire. Might make a new paddle strop and order a new hanging strop. Either way, the stropping I believe was indeed the issue....

Yea, that is where having a mentor watching what you are doing comes in so handy. Some things are just hard to spot unless there is another person watching. Hope it keeps working for you.